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The following article was published in Your Health Magazine. Our mission is to empower people to live healthier.
Don J. Fontana, MD, PA
The Beauty Of Aging Beautifully
Don Fontana, MD

The Beauty Of Aging Beautifully

There are some who consider the aging process to be an inevitable curse. Despite their best efforts, mother time shows her marks relentlessly and the progression of the aging process continues. There are a few of us blessed with a lifestyle and the right genetic background that age better than most. For the rest of us, how can we make the most of our appearance independent of our age?

The ultimate question is, “how can one best delay the aging process and look great for ones age.” Step one is to chose your parents wisely. If you are blessed with the right genetic background, the entire aging process can be relatively painless. Next, avoid exposure to ultraviolet light and wear sun block twelve months a year. Use makeup that contains a block with an SPF as high as possible. Remain fit by exercising, eating properly, eliminating processed foods from your diet and remaining positive in your personality. Be a “half-full type” person rather than the “half-empty” pessimistic, doom and gloom individual. Surround yourself with like-minded positive personalities. Try to find a positive benefit from life's pressures.

And along the way, take care of yourself. Consult with an experienced plastic surgeon who can advise you on the appropriate skin care regiment. Knowing how to exfoliate and moisturize your skin, using the appropriate products combined with both facial chemical peels and moisturizing facials make a huge difference in maintaining youthful facial skin. The combination peels like the VI Peel has proven results and allows you to resume a normal daily schedule after two days of peeling.

As you approach menopause, you will experience a drop in female estrogen levels, which results in thinning of the skin because of collagen loss, and loss of facial volume. Treatment with Thermage can increase collagen content in the facial skin and can help to tighten facial skin in selected cases. Botox is a wonderful, safe method to diminish and sometimes eliminate the creases around the eyes; forehead and frown lines and can last for up to five months.

Loss of facial volume is now treated with either your own fat by grafting the fat after lipo suctioning it from your abdomen and grafting it selectively in zones of your facial landscape. This replenishes the fullness you had as a younger person. A less invasive technique is to use biodegradable facial fillers to diminish the depth of the nasolabial folds, the marionette lines and increase the fullness of once pouty lips. This is an office procedure and can be done painlessly by a plastic surgeon skilled in nerve blocks.

These techniques are available and routinely performed by plastic surgeons. Their cost is reasonable and the result is immediate. Using these methods can shave years off your appearance. What better compliment than having a friend say, “You look great!”

And ultimately, the day may come when a nip and tuck may be appropriate. Less invasive surgical procedures with reduced down time are now the norm. Women simply do not want to be limited in their activities for more than two weeks, no matter what the operation might be. Whether it's a facelift, necklift, eyelid surgery, rhinoplasty, breast lift, augmentation, or tummy tuck, most patients resume a nearly normal routine in weeks.

Although there is no magic pill or solution and no fountain of youth, if you follow a few simple principles, the aging process will be a beautiful experience.

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